MonicaDiscover the underwater world and only leave bubbles behind
If you are a diver, you know that you are fortunate enough to have the chance to discover a large part of the world that not everybody can see.
I still remember my very first dive, the first time I could actually breathe underwater. If we start thinking of what humans have been able to create… allowing us to enter a world that isn’t made for us, is truly incredible.
The first time I saw a wreck whilst 30 meters underwater, I was completely overwhelmed. Some people don’t like the feeling of breathing at 30m of depth but I just get carried away by what that underwater world has to offer and forget about the dangerous depths.
Everywhere you look, there is life. We have a front-row seat to the beauties of our oceans, as well as to the negative impacts humans have on this world. From coral bleaching, underwater pollution, marine noise and declining populations of marine animals.
You may notice them all during a single dive…
Compared to numerous other nature-based tourism activities, diving isn’t too invasive. However, the expansion of diving industries around the world definitely has its negative impacts too; these are due to the inexperience, disrespect and ignorance of both divers and the diving companies.
If you are planning on going on a diving or snorkeling trip, here are 8 things you should keep in mind in order to do so sustainably.
1. Take only pictures and leave only bubbles
Be a responsible diver and don’t pick up any souvenirs (shells, pieces of coral etc.) during your dive. Small actions can always lead to much larger effects. You may pick up one pretty shell and that may not make any difference. However, if every diver was to think that way, removing that “one shell” may make a difference after all.
2. Keep mastering your buoyancy when diving
Practice makes you perfect. Keep practicing your buoyancy during every dive you make. Mastering that neutral position in the water, will allow you to not fall into the seafloor, disrupting all the life there may be.
3. Keep your fins off
If you are diving close to a reef or a wreck, make sure you don’t kick anything with your fins. Find the right technique and swim slowly. If you do not feel confident yet, just make sure to stay further away from anything you could come into contact with.
4. Avoid wearing gloves.
This may be a debatable one. However, a number of dive companies in the tropics have prohibited the use of gloves during dives, because wearing them gives people an extra sense of security. This may lead to increasing the possibility of divers to touch things and hold onto corals or rocks during their dives. So, unless you know you need them for a particular reason, better to avoid.
5. Don’t feed the fish.
Giving out some bits of bread may initially seem like an innocent action. However, once again, think about it on a larger scale, where all divers do this. It would affect the existing balanced food web that has developed over millions of years, with some species ‘getting used’ to this human activity.
6. Watch your waste and pick it up if you can.
It is so easy for things to fly off a boat, so please be particularly careful with your cigarette butts, plastic bottles and food wrappers. Nowadays, it is in fact quite common to encounter trash during a dive. If you can, pick it up and place the rubbish in your BCDs (Buoyancy Control Devices) pockets or give it to your instructor if you don’t feel comfortable carrying the trash. If you are diving with an eco-friendly company, they often carry out “dive against debris” programs and might bring mesh bags with them on all their dives.
ProjectAware is one of my favourite global movements for ocean protection, find out the top trash items found in the ocean and see how you can join in to help.
7. Shop responsibly.
If you want to buy souvenirs, make sure you are avoiding any ocean products like seashells, coral jewellery, shark teeth or dried out animals. That is never a good idea. Every organism in the ocean plays a vital role in the functioning of the marine ecosystem. Every time you make the decision to not buy a product like these, you are giving an example and making a difference.
8. Choose your tour operators properly.
Not all diving and snorkeling tour operators are the same. Some, just want to earn their money through cheap and easy practice. Others, really try to make their activities as sustainable and environmental friendly as possible. If we want the world to be filled with eco-friendly tour operators, we have to show demand for sustainable businesses. So, when booking your trip, ask what the company does to ensure minimum impact on the marine environment as possible. What are their policies for anchoring? Do they support any marine organization? Do they take part in educational and environmental activities?
The more we demand companies to carry out sustainable marine practices, the more likely it is for them to respond to our needs. Check out GreenFins, which aims to increase awareness and promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling industry.
All of this is to say to never forget how lucky you are to have access to the underwater world. Now that you do, enjoy every second of it in the most sustainable and responsible way possible.
Dive sustainably.
Be the change that you want to see in others and be the responsible diver you would want everybody else to be.
Are you helping the environment when you go on a diving or snorkel trip?